The Best Way to Celebrate the Hijri New Year: A British Muslim Family's Guide (UK)

How British Muslim families should mark the start of the Islamic year

The Islamic calendar begins on 1 Muharram — the first day of the lunar year, dated from the Hijrah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE. For British Muslim families, the Hijri new year is a quieter, more reflective moment than the secular new year — without fireworks, without resolutions made and abandoned within weeks, and without the consumption-driven excess that marks December 31st in mainstream British culture.

This guide is the British Muslim parent\'s reference: what the Hijri new year actually marks, what is authentic Sunnah practice for the day and the month, what to do with children, and the false innovations to avoid.

The Hijrah and the calendar

The Hijrah was the migration of the Prophet ﷺ and the early Muslim community from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE — the foundational political event of the Muslim community. The Islamic calendar is dated from this year, but begins not from the day of the migration itself (which took place in Rabīʿ al-Awwal) but from the start of the lunar year that contained it (1 Muharram).

The decision to use the Hijrah as the calendar starting point was made under the caliphate of ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb (RA) in approximately 17 AH. ʿUmar consulted the senior Companions; ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (RA) suggested the Hijrah, on the grounds that it marked the moment Islam transitioned from a persecuted minority faith to an established community with its own polity. ʿUmar accepted.

What is authentic Sunnah practice on 1 Muharram?

This is where British Muslim families need clarity. Many cultural practices have grown up around the Hijri new year — special prayers, specific recitations, communal celebrations — most of which have no authentic basis in the Sunnah.

What IS authentically established

• The general encouragement of voluntary fasting in Muharram, with particular emphasis on the 9th and 10th (the days of ʿAshura)
• The general practice of reflection on the year just completed and the year ahead
• The general Sunnah of beginning every new period (day, month, year) with thankfulness and du\'ā

What is NOT authentically established

• Specific "new year" prayers with specific rakʿah counts and recitations
• The popular du\'ā for the new Hijri year that circulates on WhatsApp every Muharram — most versions have weak or fabricated chains
• Communal "new year" gatherings with specific rituals
• Greeting cards and gift exchanges as a religious obligation (permissible as cultural practice; not religious obligation)

How to mark the Hijri new year as a British Muslim family

1. Family reflection

The end of one Islamic year and the start of the next is a natural moment for personal and family reflection. Sit with your family in the days around 1 Muharram and discuss: what went well in the year just completed? What was difficult? What did we learn? What do we want for the coming year? This is not a Sunnah; it is good practice that aligns with the broader Islamic emphasis on muḥāsabah (self-accounting).

2. Voluntary fasting through Muharram

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Allah, Muharram" (Muslim 1163). Increase voluntary fasting through the month — especially the 9th and 10th (the days of ʿAshura).

3. ʿAshura on the 10th

The 10th of Muharram — the day of ʿAshura — has its own significance and Sunnah practice. The Prophet ﷺ fasted it himself and instructed Muslims to fast it. (See our separate guide.)

4. Increase Quran recitation

The Hijri new year is a natural moment to start a new Quran recitation cycle — perhaps committing to one juzʾ a day across the next 30 days, or one page a day across the year.

5. Begin a Quran teacher relationship if you do not have one

For British Muslim families considering one-to-one Quran lessons for their children or themselves, the Hijri new year is an excellent moment to start. Book a free trial in the early days of Muharram.

6. Plan major Islamic milestones

Use the Hijri new year to plan Hajj or ʿumrah travel for the coming year, to set hifz progress goals for your child, or to commit to attending Eid prayers in a specific way.

The Hijri vs Gregorian calendar — the practical UK reality

British Muslim families operate on both calendars simultaneously. School terms, work schedules, council services, and most of daily British life run on the Gregorian calendar. Religious obligations (Ramadan, Eid, Hajj, the four sacred months) run on the Hijri calendar. The two are misaligned by approximately 11 days per year, with the lunar months drifting earlier each year through the solar seasons.

The practical effect: Ramadan moves through the British seasons over a 33-year cycle. Hajj falls at different times of year. Children should grow up with both calendars in their awareness — knowing not just December 31st but also when 1 Muharram will fall this year.

What about the Gregorian new year (December 31)?

The classical scholarly position is that participation in non-Muslim religious festivals is generally not permitted, but the Gregorian new year is largely secular in modern British practice. Most contemporary scholars permit British Muslims to acknowledge the new year — to wish colleagues well, to attend office celebrations modestly — without participating in haram elements (alcohol, mixed-gender nightclub events, fireworks-driven excess that wakes neighbours and wastes money). The Hijri new year is the religiously significant one; the Gregorian is a matter of British civic life.

Frequently asked questions

Where to go next

For more on Muharram and the Islamic calendar, see our guides on The Favour of the Month of Muharram, The Day of ʿAshura, Major Events of Rabīʿ al-Awwal, and Rajab. To begin a new Quran routine for the new Hijri year, book a free trial lesson.